Page 7 - Mid Valley Times 12-30-21 e-Edition

Thursday, December 30, 2021
The View From Here
There is a really nice clothing store here in Reedley called Blush.
Staff Report
Children in Reedley were able to stop the Reedley Community Center on the afternoon of Dec. 26 to pick up a toy personally delivered by Santa.
The Toys-4-Tots event was held on behalf of the City of Reedley and The Reedley Po- lice Officer's Association or R.P.O.A.
More than 25 cars of fam- ilies drove through during the event.
Planning for the event be- gan as far back as Oct. and was specifically tailored for children under the age of 12.
Some-
times I’ll
stop in to see
what they
have. They carry an assort- ment of modern clothing, shoes and all kinds of ac- cessories. I decided that I wanted to wear something nice to my TV job on the day of Christmas. I stopped by and found an ice blue wrap around dress. “This is perfect,” I thought to myself.
Sometimes a planned outfit doesn't actually hap- pen. But in this case, what happened on Christmas day was far more impor- tant than any silly ward- robe change. This day af- fected many lives in Reed- ley and surrounding com- munities. It was by far the worst story I've ever cov- ered in my career.
Those who know us know, that we have a cou- ple of scanners on at our house almost every day. Al- bert has one for the Reed- ley Fire Department and I have a police scanner for news I cover.
I was about to put on some mascara when I heard the dispatcher say something that stopped me in my tracks. A man walked into a home and shot several people.
I won’t go into the de- tails of where the two vic- tims were shot, but imme- diately it sounded serious. At every news station we have what’s called an as- signment desk. This is the person who assigns report- ers their stories.
At my tv station, the gal who does this job, her name is Halle. [Pro- nounced Hally.] I text her and asked if I was hearing the call correctly. “Did you by chance hear a shoot- ing call on Goodfellow?” I asked. “Yes, she replied, it sounds really bad.”
I quickly changed and headed to the scene. A large part of Goodfellow Avenue had been blocked of by police. Families should not be at the scene of a crime on Christmas af- ternoon. After a few hours on scene, we learned that a man walked into his fam- ily's home and shot and killed two women. [see A section for story]
I later learned that one of the victims was well known in town. I heard many wonderful stories about her as a mom, a friend, and a great mem- ber of the community. Our thoughts are with the vic- tims’ families and most importantly, her daughter.
Juanita Adame
Toys 4 Tots event takes place in Reedley
January 2021
By Juanita Adame
Mid Valley Times
A Sanger High student was remembered by faculty and staff during a memorial service in late January 2021.
Allison Chang, 17, was killed along with her cousins Christopher Vang, 27, and Linda Chang, 21, just one day after Christmas after the truck they were riding in was slammed into by a vehicle that ran a red light at more than 100 miles per hour.
The accident happened at
the intersection of Palm and Bullard Avenue in Fresno.
Chang, a well known student and athlete was re- membered by her family and friends as a wonderful person, a best friend with an infectious smile, and a team player whose life ended tragi- cally in an accident that could have been avoided.
The driver of the second vehicle, 18-year-old, Irvin Vil- larreal was fleeing from po- lice following an illegal street race that began on Blackstone Avenue moments earlier.
File Photo / Mid Valley Times
Contriubted / Danny Jimenez
Reedley High School student, Makena Gobby participated in the Toys 4 Tots event handing out gifts.
A year in review, looking back at 2021
RememberingAllisonChang. StudentsatSangerHighSchoolcel- ebrated the life of Allison Chang (left) in late January 2021.
February 2021
File Photo / Mid Valley Times
Tamsen Taves artwork was selected as the 2021 Blossom Trails of- ficial photo. It took Taves nearly 6 hours to complete the painting.
March 2021
Students at St. La Salle Catholic School in Reedley held up a quilt that would be part of the school's annual auction event in early Feb.
Photo of the Week
Contriubuted
File Photo / Mid Valley Times
Guests enjoyed a day on the steam trains during the Hillcrest Farms "Rail Fest" event in late March 2021.
Contributed
This photo of Jeramiah Rivera and his girlfriend Brandi Alvarez posing for a photo in downtown Reedley on Dec. 18, during their Winter Formal dance was sent in by Sabrina Romero. The couple is in their senior year of high school and attend Orange Cove High School. Haveaphotoyou'dlikefeatured?Emailjuanita@midval- leypublishing.com.